Sunday, 28 August 2011

Patrick Carman - Floors - Book Review

Pages - 272

Publisher - Scholastic Press - US

Date - 1 September 2011

Age - 9-12

ISBN: 978 0 545 255196 6

Charlie had his chocolate factory. Stanley Yelnats had his holes. Leo has the wacky, amazing Whippet Hotel.The Whippet Hotel is a strange place full of strange and mysterious people. Each floor has its own quirks and secrets. Leo should know most of them - he is the maintenance man's son, after all. But a whole lot more mystery gets thrown his way when a series of cryptic boxes are left for him . . . boxes that lead him to hidden floors, strange puzzles, and unexpected alliances. Leo had better be quick on his feet, because the fate of the building he loves is at stake . . . and so is Leo's own future!

I've been a massive fan of Patrick Carman ever since I read his debut self-published book 'The Dark Hills Divide', which is the first book in the Land of Elyon series. Ever since then, I have loved every minute in reading the rest of the series of books that followed. In fact, Patrick Carman has written so many other good books as well that he has to be one of my favourite authors from the US.

Anyway, Floors has to be added to my list of great books that I have read so far this year. It has all the hallmarks of the great Roald Dahl himself. The story is magical, full of charm and most of all, it's full to the rafters with fantastical imagination that will have you racing to the end of the book.

The main character is Leo who is a brilliant and lovable character. However, when the wacky owner of the Whippet Hotel mysteriously disappears, Leo finds himself with a cryptic puzzle to solve. This takes him into the realms of some of the most ingeniously designed rooms that you will ever come across. They are so brilliantly written and breathtaking to read that they are a marvel in themselves. However, each room that Leo finds himself in turns out to be mini-adventure fuelled with craziness and mayhem. This is one epic quest that is full of many hidden surprises. Each floor is even stranger and more dangerous than the previous. Therefore, Leo needs to have his wits about him and a lot of help from his new best friend Remi.

If you're looking for a story that will leave you immersed in a fantasy world full of bizzare inventions and original ideas, then I believe that this is the book for you. Perhaps you could consider this as a late summer read as I would highly recommend not only this book but any other Patrick Carman books.

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